Ecclesiastes 11-12
New King James Version
The Value of Diligence
11 Cast your bread (A)upon the waters,
(B)For you will find it after many days.
2 (C)Give a serving (D)to seven, and also to eight,
(E)For you do not know what evil will be on the earth.
3 If the clouds are full of rain,
They empty themselves upon the earth;
And if a tree falls to the south or the north,
In the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie.
4 He who observes the wind will not sow,
And he who regards the clouds will not reap.
5 As (F)you do not know what is the way of the [a]wind,
(G)Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child,
So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.
6 In the morning sow your seed,
And in the evening do not withhold your hand;
For you do not know which will prosper,
Either this or that,
Or whether both alike will be good.
7 Truly the light is sweet,
And it is pleasant for the eyes (H)to behold the sun;
8 But if a man lives many years
And (I)rejoices in them all,
Yet let him (J)remember the days of darkness,
For they will be many.
All that is coming is vanity.
Seek God in Early Life
9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth,
And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth;
(K)Walk in the [b]ways of your heart,
And [c]in the sight of your eyes;
But know that for all these
(L)God will bring you into judgment.
10 Therefore remove [d]sorrow from your heart,
And (M)put away evil from your flesh,
(N)For childhood and [e]youth are vanity.
Seek God in Early Life
12 Remember(O) now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the [f]difficult days come,
And the years draw near (P)when you say,
“I have no pleasure in them”:
2 While the sun and the light,
The moon and the stars,
Are not darkened,
And the clouds do not return after the rain;
3 In the day when the keepers of the house tremble,
And the strong men bow down;
When the grinders cease because they are few,
And those that look through the windows grow dim;
4 When the doors are shut in the streets,
And the sound of grinding is low;
When one rises up at the sound of a bird,
And all (Q)the daughters of music are brought low.
5 Also they are afraid of height,
And of terrors in the way;
When the almond tree blossoms,
The grasshopper is a burden,
And desire fails.
For man goes to (R)his eternal home,
And (S)the mourners go about the streets.
6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is [g]loosed,
Or the golden bowl is broken,
Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,
Or the wheel broken at the well.
7 (T)Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
(U)And the spirit will return to God (V)who gave it.
8 “Vanity(W) of vanities,” says the Preacher,
“All is vanity.”
The Whole Duty of Man
9 And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and (X)set[h] in order many proverbs. 10 The Preacher sought to find [i]acceptable words; and what was written was upright—words of truth. 11 The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of [j]scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. 12 And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and (Y)much study is wearisome to the flesh.
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
(Z)Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
14 For (AA)God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 11:5 Or spirit
- Ecclesiastes 11:9 Impulses
- Ecclesiastes 11:9 As you see to be best
- Ecclesiastes 11:10 vexation
- Ecclesiastes 11:10 Prime of life
- Ecclesiastes 12:1 Lit. evil
- Ecclesiastes 12:6 So with Qr., Tg.; Kt. removed; LXX, Vg. broken
- Ecclesiastes 12:9 arranged
- Ecclesiastes 12:10 Lit. delightful
- Ecclesiastes 12:11 Lit. masters of assemblies
Psalm 103:15-22
New King James Version
15 As for man, (A)his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 (B)For the wind passes over it, and it is [a]gone,
And (C)its place remembers it no more.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
18 (D)To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.
19 The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
And (E)His kingdom rules over all.
20 (F)Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who (G)do His word,
Heeding the voice of His word.
21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
(H)You [b]ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
22 Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Footnotes
- Psalm 103:16 not
- Psalm 103:21 servants
Proverbs 24:13-14
New King James Version
13 My son, (A)eat honey because it is good,
And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;
14 (B)So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul;
If you have found it, there is a [a]prospect,
And your hope will not be cut off.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 24:14 Lit. latter end
1 Corinthians 11:1-6
New King James Version
Worship and the Lord’s Supper
11 Imitate(A) me, just as I also imitate Christ.
Head Coverings
2 Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to know that (B)the head of every man is Christ, (C)the head of woman is man, and (D)the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man praying or (E)prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were (F)shaved. 6 For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is (G)shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered.
Read full chapterScripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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